Slytherin's Secret
by martinaferro
Summary: Salazar has a secret which then becomes a known legend. How was Hogwarts in the 10th century? How were the four famous founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salaza Slytherin? Had they found love, were they liked, or were they the complete opposite? Later chapters may be rated M.


**_DISCLAIMER: J. OWNS THE SETTING (_HOGWARTS_) AND SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF THIS STORY (_SALAZAR SLYTHERIN, ROWENA RAVENCLAW, HELGA HUFFLEPUFF AND GODRIC GRYFFINDOR_)._**

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The giant wooden doors belonging to the Great Hall swung open and a large group of, at least, fifty first years came marching in, following Helga Hufflepuff who was at the very front. I scanned them all one by one, deciding who looked worthy enough to enter my house. Some I recognised, others I didn't. _Filth_ I thought. How could dear, clever Rowena tolerate this? Surely somewhere in her impressive many-doored mind there must be a room that stored common sense! But nothing. I would waste my time hoping young Helga would see why teaching muggle borns magic was wrong, she spent half her spare time making up new recipes for feasts in the evenings. "Grand Nana taught my mother this one." She'd say, "only I've changed it around a little, added vinegar after I put in the lettuce. The students love it!" The one person I was most disappointed to see he wouldn't agree with me was Sir Godric Gryffindor. My friend wouldn't tolerate the idea of young witches and wizards being left out 'simply because of their heritage'. How dare he even think heritage didn't play an important part in a wizard's life? Heritage is everything! Heritage is how someone is brought up and how they act, it is how they display their emotions, heritage is taught. There shouldn't be any sort of muggle lifestyle escaping a magical being – that would be absurd. No, magic should only be kept within muggle families, anyone else should be kept in the dark; no one can be taught to live like a wizard, it's too late for muggle borns to catch up at the age of eleven.

Helga stepped up three steps and walked to where a wobbly stool was found and stood by it. The Sorting Hat lay immobile on top of the stool, then the pointy end of the hat shot up and a big mouth was revealed. Several of the first years gasped, but their expressions changed when the hat's mouth started moving and talking. They all looked in awe of the magical hat.

"A big welcome to first years,

Now please look around the hall,

From the right to the left wall,

You see all your friendly peers!

Some will be your family,

I will be the judge of that,

Only if you're willing to,

Come forth and try on a hat!"

My feet were beginning to ache so I leaned on the table. I am the oldest of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I certainly am the wisest too. Rowena may be packed with academic knowledge, but I know all the secrets to how life should be lived and don't intend these ways to be wasted! My eyes crawled over all the first years, guessing which ones could be potential members of my house and which ones I could personally handpick to teach the Dark Arts too. A particularly chubby young boy caught my attention. He had long, dark, brown that reached under his elbows and dark eyes that seemed to be either black or brown. He looked like a perfect Slytherin. People began applauding as the Sorting Hat had finished his song; I joined briefly, and then put my hands back on the table to balance out my weight. Helga looked down at the first years and began talking, "Here I have a list of all your names." She waved around a scroll of paper, "I shall call them out one-by-one and you will all come up and take a seat while I will put the hat on your heads. All right, then. Gentlemen first." She cleared her throat and began, "Alewo, Geoffery-Hadrian" was the first to be sorted into Gryffindor, then came Brorda-Potter Terrin who was placed in Hufflepuff. After what seemed to be twenty minutes but was probably five, "Gaunt, Xalvador" was called out, my grandson. _Guant_, I huffed, _ridiculous_ _name_.

I had been so disappointed when I discovered my wife had given birth to a girl. Of course, it wasn't such a huge disappointment as we already had a male in the family to carry on the Slytherin heir, but so far my son had only two girls.

The Sorting Hat wasn't even placed properly on Xalvador's head before it shouted out "SLYTHERIN!" and I raised an eyebrow in surprise, not having expecting this at all, and felt a smirk form on my lips. Xalvador made his way to the Slytherin table where he shook a few hands offered his way (because he was, no doubt, related to me) then he proceeded to look back at me and nodded his head slightly; I returned the gesture and shifted my attention back to the Sorting Hat. "Lief, Cassius" was called forward. It was the long, dark haired boy I'd predicted would be a Slytherin. My body raised slightly out of curiosity, then slumped back to leaning over the table after he'd been made a Gryffindor. When all the boys were called, almost all the girls were fidgeting nervously with their new robes. "Bess, Rohesia" was the first girl to be called and walked over to the stool quite confidently. "SLYTHERIN!" Yelled the hat, and she smiled and pranced over to the student's Slytherin table.

The Sorting Ceremony finally finished; Rowan Crewe, Ulric Fenwick, Athelstan Sadon, Xalvador Gaunt, Favian Burghred, Rohesia Bess, Gloriana Castillon, Adelaide Ine, Mirabelle Devereux and Atheena Merek were all put into Slytherin. As the sorting was finally over everyone in the hall was allowed to take a seat, Rowena remained standing and welcomed the Hogwarts students with a tone so stern it might have made a few students wet themselves. "You must all respect these rules, because should somebody step out of their dormitories with even the slightest thought of misbehaving, then you must know beforehand that the punishments are very strict and there is no tolerance for those who come to Hogwarts and disturb others from being able to achieve their very best. Is that understood?" some students muttered yes's, mostly Ravenclaw's, but that didn't satisfy Rowena who repeated, "Have I made myself clear?" a loud chorus of "yes" sounded the Great Hall and Rowena smiled, "well then, let the feast begin!"


End file.
